2009 Porsche Cayenne Diesel for Europe

Porsche loses its spark(plugs).

Hell is freezing over: Porsche will begin selling a diesel-powered Cayenne in Europe. The posh off-roader will be powered by the same 3.0-liter turbodiesel V-6 that powers a number of Volkswagen and Audi models, including the Audi Q7 and Volkswagen Touareg.

Unlike the entry-level gasoline engine in the Cayenne—a VW unit which is heavily tweaked to obscure its origins—the diesel engine remains virtually unchanged; it is rated at 240 horsepower at 4400 rpm, just like in its European-market siblings, and it produces 406 lb-ft of torque at a low 2000 rpm. With the heavy component sharing between the Cayenne, the Touareg, and the Q7, adaptation posed no major challenge to Porsche's engineering team. A six-speed automatic transmission is standard; no manual gearbox is offered.

Acceleration from 0 to 62 mph takes a claimed 8.3 seconds, and top speed is 133 mph. That's close to the entry-level gasoline V-6 engine, which costs about €4000 ($5000) less. The money is well-invested: You don't just get torque, which even exceeds that of the V-8–powered Cayenne GTS, you get a mammoth SUV that manages 25.3 mpg in the European cycle.

In its first press release on the Cayenne diesel, Porsche hastens to add that an upcoming hybrid Cayenne will do even better, achieving over 26 mpg. The carmaker also emphasizes that the decision to build this version was prompted by European tax laws, which Porsche feels favor the diesel.

Porsche’s senior management has mulled over the decision to come out with a Cayenne diesel thoroughly; for years, it has identified the diesel as being patently unsuitable for any of its models. More than one time, CEO Wendelin Wiedeking has gone on the record stating that a diesel-powered Porsche does not appear in his "wildest dreams."

The market has changed, and Porsche has reacted. The diesel Cayenne launches in Europe in February of 2009, but it will subsequently be offered in other global markets as well. Do we get it, too? "Currently, there are no plans to market the Cayenne diesel in the United States,” Stuttgart informs. We wouldn't be shocked if that decision went up for a review soon.

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